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Use of snares
20/02/2008
The Scottish Government today outlined its policy on the use of snares.
New measures will strictly limit the use of snares and ban those capable of inflicting unnecessary suffering. New penalties to punish people who use them illegally will also be considered with a view to legislation.
Minister for Environment Michael Russell said:
"In recent months, I have been heavily engaged with this subject. I have discussed snaring with representatives of many organisations and have been on a number of fact-finding visits.
"I greatly respect those who campaign for a complete ban on snaring and I empathise with them. We should be justly proud that Scotland has some of the strongest wildlife protection legislation in the world. It is important that we continue to maintain the highest standards and that everything done in the countryside - including everything done to control pests and predators - is consistent with those high standards.
"Yet no responsible politician can ignore the fact that there are those who argue equally passionately that snaring is a regrettable but essential tool for high quality land management in Scotland. Such people also have a keen interest in and concern for wildlife and their view - that snaring plays a key role in maintaining the iconic Scottish landscape of heather clad hillsides, alive with a rich diversity of species - cannot be lightly set aside.
"A Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust field experiment showed that predator control increased the breeding stock of the wild grey partridge by 42 per cent. Without such control, stocks declined in most years. The National Parks staff at Loch Lomond and the Cairngorms have, amongst others, made it clear that without snaring being available to them as a means of predator control they fear they would be unable to meet their statutory objectives in maintaining biodiversity.
"The key issue I have had to consider is whether the protection of our unique biodiversity, the management of our successful shooting industries and the safeguarding of our key agricultural production could be undertaken without the option of using snaring - that is, could it be done in any more humane and more appropriate way both in terms of cost effectiveness and in terms of actual results on the ground.
"If it could then snaring might well be able to be dispensed with. If not, then snaring, regrettably, would have to remain within the range of tools necessary for good land management in Scotland.
"At the end of a very lengthy process of discussion and reflection I have come to the conclusion that snaring is still necessary in some circumstances. However it is also clear to me that we can and must do better in terms of eliminating bad practice for I believe it is bad practice - and sometimes criminally bad practice - which is responsible for some of the dreadful cases brought forward by animal rights organisations.
"Scientists who wish to catch animals for radio-tagging experiments use snares without any apparent harm and the British Veterinary Association Ethics and Welfare Group recently commented that 'in some circumstances snaring might be the least inhumane method where control is necessary'. This conclusion was also reached by the 2005 Independent Working Group on Snares.
"The public are rightly concerned about what happens to the wildlife that is part of all our heritage. They need to be absolutely confident that where snaring is necessary, there is no room for any doubt about what is allowed, that the practice is undertaken by competent and responsible individuals, that we have outlawed any practices which do not match up to welfare standards - and that we are vigorously enforcing that law.
"Accordingly I intend to bring forward a package which will aim to make fundamental changes to the practice of snaring in Scotland. I have discussed these changes with industry representatives - landowners and managers, gamekeepers and sporting interests - and I believe that they will command widespread support.
"I would also like to have the co-operation of welfare and other organisations such as Advocates for Animals and the League Against Cruel Sports but unfortunately they indicated to me as recently as last Friday that they are not prepared to countenance any alternative to a total ban. I regret that and I want to assure them today that the door remains open to them, if they are willing to work with this Government to introduce the best possible practice in this matter.
"The package that we intend to bring forward will I believe make a significant difference in terms of animal welfare. By implementing this package Scotland will have established the best possible practice in terms of animal welfare whilst allowing effective land management to continue with all the economic and conservation benefits that accrue.
"We will also be sending a clear signal to those wildlife cowboys and criminals who use snares illegally and indiscriminately that their methods will be vigorously pursued and punished."
The package of new measures is as follows:
- The compulsory fitting of crimped safety stops to prevent the noose closing too far and inflicting damage, which on its own has the potential to bring about a huge improvement in the welfare of animals restrained by snares
- The compulsory fitting of ID tags on snares which will allow identification of their owner by the authorities, but will not allow identification by casual passers-by
- The action of a snare must be checked before it is set
- Any snare which is not staked in place must be fixed with an anchor that cannot be dragged away
- The setting of snares on posts, over water courses, on planks or fences will be prohibited as this can cause unnecessary suffering to the target
- Areas where snaring is taking place will be clearly marked with signs
- The way in which a new offence of tampering with a lawfully set snare could be created will be considered - this is required both in terms of good governance and because tampering with snares, even for the best of reasons, can sometimes (even unwittingly) make their effects more deadly and cruel
- Legal status for a new land management industry accreditation scheme, which aims to ensure that within a fixed period everyone who sets a snare will require to have received training in best practice and the law - eventually no one without such training will be allowed to set a snare